I don't think I need trouble the Tribunal with the
rest. The next document in the bundle, 1541-PS, which I offer in
evidence as Exhibit GB-117, is the directive issued for the actual
attack on Greece. Before reading it, it might be convenient if I
summarized the position of the Italian invading forces at that time as
this is one of the factors mentioned by Hitler in the directive. I can
put it very shortly. I again use the words in which His Majesty's
Minister reported:

"The morale of the Greek Army
throughout has been of the highest, and our own naval and land
successes at Taranto and in the western desert have done much to
maintain it.

"With relatively poor armaments and the minimum of equipment and
modern facilities they have driven back or captured superior Italian
forces more frequently than not at the point of the bayonet. The
modern Greeks have thus shown that they are not unworthy of the
ancient traditions of their country and that they, like their distant
forefathers, are prepared to fight against odds to maintain their
freedom."

In fact the
Italians were getting the worst of it, and it was time that Hitler came
to the rescue. Accordingly this directive was issued on 13 December
1940; it is top-secret Directive Number 20 for the Operation Marita. The
distribution included, of course, the Commander of the Navy, that would,
of course, be the Defendant Raeder; one to the Commander of the Air
Force, which would be the Defendant Göring one to the Supreme
Command of the Armed Forces, Keitel; and one to the Command Staff, which
I take it, would be the Defendant Jodl. I shall read the first two
paragraphs and then summarize the next two, if I may:

"The result in the battles of Albania
is not yet decisive. Because of a dangerous situation in Albania it is
doubly necessary that the British endeavor to create air bases under
the protection of a Balkan front  which would be dangerous above
all to Italy as well as to the Romanian oil fields  be foiled.

"My plan, therefore, is (a) to form a slowly increasing task
force in southern Romania within the next months (b) after the setting
in of favorable weather  probably in March  to send this
task force for the occupation of the Aegean north coast by way of
Bulgaria and, if necessary, to occupy the entire Greek mainland
(Operation Marita). The support of Bulgaria is to be expected."

The next paragraph gives the forces for the operation, and Paragraph 4
deals with the Operation Marita itself. Paragraph 5 states: